Hoisting apparatus with an articulated mast boom



E. E. BAKER Oct. 10, 1950 HOISTING APPARATUS WITH AN ARTICULATED MASTBOOM 2 sheets-sheet 2 Filed May 4, 1948 IN VEN TOR.

E DWI-N E- BAKER BY WWW ATTORNEYS P'atentecl Oct. 10, 1 950 HOISTINGAPPARATUS WITH AN ARTICU- LATED MAST BOOM Edwin E. Baker, Merced, Calif.

Application May 4, 1948, Serial N 0. 24,997

- Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in hoisting apparatus withan articulated mastboom. It consists of the combinations, constructionsand arrangement of parts, as hereinafter described and claimed.

An object of my invention is to provide a hoisting apparatus having amast-boom composed of articulated sections arranged in such a mannerthat the mast may be converted readily into a boom, or the boomconverted into a mast. This arrangement provides a very flexiblehoisting apparatus adapted for a great variety of uses.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mast-boom made up oftubular articulated sections, which are hingedly secured together. Acable is guided through these articulated sections; and. upon paying outthe cable, the mast is lowered into boom-forming position. Retraction ofthe cable will operate to restore the articulated sections intomast-forming position.

A still further object is to provide a mastboom of the characterdescribed, which is supported on a revolvable turntable. The latter maybe traversed through 360, and thus a load may be picked up at anyangular position and delivered to a selected spot.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the specification continues.The novel features of my invention will be pointed out in the claimshereunto appended.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference should be had tothe accompanying drawings, forming part of this application, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical elevational side view of my hoisting apparatus,the solid lines illustrating the articulated sections arranged in amastforming position and the dot-dash lines showing the articulatedsections in boom-forming position;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view illustrating the two perforatedleaves of one of the hinges that I employ for securing the articulatedsections together;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 and shows the hoisting apparatusin boom-forming position;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view through the base portion of thehoisting apparatus, with the articulated sections arranged in an uprightmast-forming position; and

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4, but disclosing the articulatedsections swung into boomforming position.

While I have shown only the preferred form of my invention, it should beunderstood that various changes, or modifications, may be made withinthe scope of the appended claims without departing from the spiritthereof.

Referring to the drawings, it will be noted that I provide a pluralityof tubular articulated sections A, which may be arranged in end-to-endrelation with respect to one another to form a mast indicated generallyat B when the sections are arranged upright. Hinges C secure adjacentsections together with the pivotpins l of the hinges disposed along oneside of the mast. The articulated sections may be inclined laterally ontheir hinges to lower the top 2 of the mast and extend the mast toplaterally to provide a boom indicated generally at D.

The lower end of the mast-boom is anchored to a base E. The latter issecured by bolts 3 to a turntable F, which is revolvable through 360.The turntable includes a revolvable platform 4 having a power-drivendrum 5 mounted thereon so as to turn therewith. This drum may beoperated by any suitable means; and for this purpose I have shown amotor 6 that is carried by the platform 4 and operatively connected tothe drum shaft I by bevel gears 8. However, I do not wish to be limitedto any particular type of drum-operating mechanism.

In order to rotate the platform ll so as to swing the boom D into thedesired angular position, I have shown a ring gear 9, which is driven bya pinion l0 carried by a shaft II. The latter may be operated by a crank12 so as to impart rotary motion to the platform F. This platform isjournalled for rotation in any suitable support G, which may be aportion of a loading platform, deck of a vessel, body of a truck, or thelike.

The interior of the articulated sections A and centrally-disposedopenings I3 in the hinges C provide a passageway Al through which acable H is guided. The lower portion of this cable is coiled around andattached to the drum 5, while its upper end is secured to a cable stop Jarranged exteriorly of the mast-boom. Briefly stated, when the cable His played out the mast B may be inclined from its normal uprightposition into an inclined position to provide the boom D. On the otherhand, when the cable is retracted by winding it in on the drum 5, theboom D is raised to reform the upright mast B. Any suitable means may beemployed for paying out or retracting the cable.

Referring now to Figures 1 and 3, it will be observed that a hoistingtackle K is secured to an eyelet I4 formed on the cable stop J. Thistackle includes a, hook H: which is intended for lifting a load L.Figure 3 clearly discloses the fact that the cable I-I may be extendedbeyond the mast top 2 in order to allow the hoisting tackle K to reachfor a load. Then the load may be drawn in or raised until the cable stopJ strikes the top 2 of the boom D. Further retraction of the cable willresult in swinging the articulated sections A on their hinges C forlifting the load to the desired height. Now the turntable F may berotated to swing the load to the desired place.

The details of the hinges C are disclosed in Figures 2, 4, and 5. Eachhinge includes perforated upper and lower leaves l6 and I7, which areswingably secured together by a pin l. The hinges are interposed betweenadjacent pairs of articulated sections A. The upper and lower leaves l6and I! are secured to the lower and upper ends I8 and 19, respectively,of adjacent articulated sections A by screws 20, or other suitablefastening means.

The upper leaves are provided with shieilds 2| that are arranged to formclosures over the spaces formed between the adjacent ends l8 and I9 ofthe articulated sections when the mast is lowered into boom-formingposition, as in Figures 3 and 5. The shields 2| may be welded at 2| tothe lower ends of the sections A and have lips 2la projecting intorecesses 22 fashioned in the articulated sections just below the lowerleaves l1. The lips 2Ia and recesses 22 coact with one another to limitthe swinging movement of the articulate sections A on the hinges C.

A sheave 23 is rotatably carried by each articulated section A on thehinged side of the latter, with the sheaves projecting into thepassageway Al. These sheaves are arranged to hold the cable H out ofcontact with the articulated sections during opening and closing of thehinges C.

Having thus described the various parts of my hoisting apparatus, theoperation thereof is summarized briefly as follows:

Assuming that the articulated sections A are arranged in uprightposition to provide a mast B as disclosed in full lines in Figure l, andit is desired to convert the lifting apparatus into a boom D, asindicated in dot-dash lines in the same view, the operator would proceedas follows:

As the first step, the motor-driven drum should be rotated so as to payout the cable H. This will free the articulated sections A for swinginglaterally on their hinges C, thus forming them into a boom D. The lips2|a and the recesses 22 coact with one another to limit the maximumamount of lowering of the top 2. When this position has been reached,the cable stop J will leave the top 2 and additional cable H can bepayed out until the hook I5 is extended for engagement with the load L.The sheaves 23 carry the cable pull when the mast is lowered to providea boom.

It will be obvious that the crank l2 can turn the turntable F until theboom D points toward the load to be lifted. After the hook l5 has beenengaged with the load, the direction of rotation of the drum 5 isreversed. This will pull in or retract the cable H and lift the load tothe desired height. In the event that the cable is retracted until thestop J abuts the top 2 and the cable is retracted still further, thearticulated sections will start to fold together.

While the boom D is being lifted up toward vertical position B itbecomes a hoist. The sections A are greater in diameter at the base Ethan at the top 2. This gives the cable I-I greater leverage on thelower sections, causing them to close from the base upward as the load Lis lifted. When the load is lifted to a desired height the remainder ofthe mast, which is not closed acts as a short boom that may be utilizedto swing the load around upon rotating the turntable F. Thus the loadcan be spotted at any angular position around the turntable and atvarious distances therefrom within reach of the boom.

I claim:

1. In a hoisting apparatus; a plurality of tubular articulated sectionsarranged in end-to-end relation with respect to one another to provide amast when the sections are upright; hinges securing adjacent sectionstogether with the pivots of the hinges disposed along one side of themast, whereby the articulated sections may be inclined laterally ontheir hinges to lower the top of the mast and extend the mast toplaterally to provide a boom; a base having the lower end of themast-boom anchored thereto; a cable guided through the hollow portionsof the tubular sections and having a hoisting tackle anchored to theupper end of the cable; means for paying out the cable so that the mastmay be inclined to provide a boom and for retracting the cable to raisethe boom into mast-forming position; and shields mounted over adjacentends of each pair of articulated sections and arranged to form a closureover the space formed therebetween when the mast is lowered intoboom-forming position.

2. In a hoisting apparatus; a plurality of tubular articulated sectionsarranged in end-to-end relation with respect to one another to provide amast when the sections are upright; hinges securing adjacent sectionstogether with the pivots of the hinges disposed along one side of themast, whereby the articulated sections may be inclined laterally ontheir hinges to lower the top of the mast and extend the mast toplaterally to provide a boom; a base having the lower end of themast-boom anchored thereto; a cable guided through the hollow portionsof the tubular sections and having a hoisting tackle anchored to theupper end of the cable; means for paying out the cable so that the mastmay be inclined to provide a boom and for retracting the cable to raisethe boom into mast-forming position; and a sheave rotatably carried byeach articulated section on the hinged side of the latter, with thesheaves projecting into the hollow interiors of the sections andarranged to hold the cable out of contact with the articulated sectionsduring opening and closing of the hinges.

3. In a hoisting apparatus; a plurality of tubular articulated sectionsarranged in end-to-end relation with respect to one another to provide amast when the sections are upright; hinges interposed between adjacentpairs of articulated sections, with the pivots of the hinges disposedalong one side of the mast, whereby the articulated sections may beinclined laterally on their hinges to lower the top of the mast andextend the mast top laterally to provide a boom; each hinge includingupper and lower leaves secured to the lower and upper ends,respectively, of adjacent articulated sections between which the hingesare interposed; each hinge having a lip projecting from one of itsleaves and extending into a recess fashioned in the articulated sectionto which the other leaf of that hinge is secured; the lips and recessescoacting with one another to limit the swinging movement of thearticulated sections on their hinges.

4. In a hoisting apparatus; a plurality of tubular articulated sectionsarranged in end-to-end relation with respect to one another to provide amast when the sections are upright; hinges securing adjacent sectionstogether with the pivots of the hinges disposed along one side of themast, whereby the articulated sections may be inclined laterally ontheir hinges to lower the top of the mast and extend the mast toplaterally to provide a boom; a base having the lower end of themast-boom anchored thereto; a cable extending through the base and alsoguided through the hollow portions of the tubular sections andextendible from the upper end of the mast-boom; a hoisting tackleanchored to the upper end of the cable and extendible to a load disposedlaterally of the mast-boom when the cable is payed out; means for payingout the cable so that the mast may be inclined to provide a boom and forretracting the cable; and means on the cable engageable with the topmostsection to raise the boom into mast-forming position in response toretraction of cable.

5. In a hoisting apparatus; a plurality of tubular articulated sectionsarranged in end-to-end relation with respect to one another to provide amast when the sections are upright; hinges securing adjacent sectionstogether with the pivots of the hinges disposed along one side of themast, whereby the articulated sections may be inclined laterally ontheir hinges to lower the top of the 6 mast and extend the mast toplaterally to provide a boom; a base having the lower end of themast-boom anchored thereto; a cable extending through the base and alsoguided through the hollow portions of the tubular sections andextendible from the upper end of the mast-boom; a hoisting tackleanchored to the upper end of the cable and extendible to a load disposedlaterally of the mast-boom when the cable is payed out; means for payingout the cable so that the mast may be inclined to provide a boom and forretracting the cable; and a cable stop secured to the upper end of thecable and movable therewith; the stop being abuttable against the top ofthe mast-boom when the cable is retracted, whereby further retraction ofthe cable will move the articulated sections toward and finally intoupright position with the hoisting tackle still extending from theboom-mast.

EDWIN E BAKER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 912,308 Grimler Feb. 16, 19091,746,109 Edwards Feb. 4, 1930 1,971,300 Garrett Aug. 21, 1934

